Betsy Westendorp at 90: To Sessions of Sweet Silent Thought at The Met

February 22, 2018 / Metropolitan Museum of Manila

David Jonathan Y. Bayot

The launching of BETSY WESTENDORP—a two-volume coffee table book set released by the De La Salle University Publishing House—was indeed the artist’s way of “summon[ing] up remembrance of things past,” directed “to sessions of sweet silent thought” (to borrow the words of Shakespeare). The event was held at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila last February 22, and was attended by an enthusiastic crowd comprised of Westendorp’s friends and fans from various circles. Published in conjunction with the artist’s ninetieth birthday, the publication is the most complete account, to date, of Westendorp’s life and art. This landmark publication offers its readers-viewers a rare opportunity to appreciate the range of the artist’s work—portraits, landscapes, Madrid cityscapes, flowers, atmosferografias, barong-barongs, and sea life—as it unfolded over nearly seven decades. The publication is De La Salle University’s way of celebrating an exemplary Spanish artist who is, significantly, also a Filipino. The writers of the book are Cid Reyes (in English) and Elena Flórez (in Spanish); the translator, Isabel Brias Westendorp (deceased); the graphic designer, Iñigo Cerdán; the photographer, Benigno T. Toda III; the editor, Rita Ledesma; and the project director, Alessandra Gonzalez. The launching event culminated in the artist handing over the gift of a diptych entitled Rhapsody of Colors (dimensions 232 cm x 324 cm) to De La Salle University, represented by Brother President Raymundo Suplido FSC.

For book orders and product inquiries, please contact De La Salle University Publishing House at (02) 523-4281 or 524-4611 loc. 271, or send an email to dlsupublishinghouse@dlsu.edu.ph.